Chris Boucher calls out Draymond Green for saying Black Lives Matter doesn’t directly affect Raptors

The Toronto Raptors arrived to the NBA campus at Disney World with “BLACK LIVES MATTER” written on their buses:

Silence is not an option. pic.twitter.com/qpn8sMo2nu

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 9, 2020

Warriors forward Draymond Green had some questions about that.

Appearing on TNT, Green asked Raptors president Masai Ujiri about the buses.

TNT:

“We said we were going to use the bubble as a statement.” @Raptors President of Basketball Ops Masai Ujiri talks about the team’s decision to have ‘Black Lives Matter’ on their team bus. #TheArena pic.twitter.com/Ixhv7n1VAX

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) July 24, 2020

Green:

You have on your bus Black Lives Matter. As a Canadian team, it doesn’t directly impact your team, because you’re in an entire different country. What made you guys take the stand and put it on your bus? I think one of 22 teams that actually went through with it. Where did that idea come from, and why did you guys feel the need to push that through?

Ujiri:

Thanks, Draymond. You’ve been unbelieve on this and what you’re speaking on, and I think the league is proud of you. For us, we said we were going to use the bubble as a statement, right? We said we’re going to use this place as a platform. And we thought that, coming in here, you have to make a statement. You have to, for me, you have to create awareness. What you guys are doing over there is creating awareness. You’re talking about this. And we have to continue to do that. And we thought, what greater way than to ride through Florida for three hours and show people? We know what’s going on in the country, and we’re heading to the bubble. And what is going on here, what Adam Silver has done here to get the league back, we’re excited about that. But there’s something on our minds, too. And we wanted to show people that, as we come in – not just the Toronto Raptors, we represent the NBA – that there’s something that’s on the minds of all the players and all the teams.

That’s a perfectly reasonable, non-confrontational answer. But Ujiri didn’t set Green straight.

Chris Boucher, a Black Canadian who plays for the Raptors, did.

Boucher:

Hold on man So for all Black Canadian Mans it doesn’t directly affect Us ?? Aren’t we all fighting for the same thing... Rascism is everywhere @Money23Green I respect you but We Go through our battles too https://t.co/28jZjbuF11

— Chris Boucher (@chrisboucher) July 24, 2020

This Is a healthy conversation to be have @Money23Green is my brother I’m imforming him that it happens here too ✊🏿

— Chris Boucher (@chrisboucher) July 24, 2020

I don’t think Green intended to slight anyone. In fact, his tone indicated admiration for the Raptors stepping up despite not being directly affected.

But his clumsy wording did slight Black people outside the United States and indicated an ignorance to the scope of the movement.

The beauty of the phrase “Black Lives Matter” is its simplicity. Black lives matter. Period. It’s not just Black American lives matter.

There is racism outside the United States, including in Canada. Black Lives Matter protests have been occurring around the world for years – both in solidarity with American protests, but also for issues in other countries. As an organization, Black Lives Matter has a global mission.

Also, not for nothing: Most Raptors players are American. But, again, racism directly affects Black people beyond the United States.

Boucher is correct, and I have no problem with him responding Green publicly. After all, Green said what he did on national TV. There’s value in Boucher continuing the conversation where people can see it.

Hopefully, Green learns from this. It shouldn’t be a hard less for someone, like Green, who cares about the issue.